Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TURN-START PUSH-STOP SWITCH OPERATOR
This appllcation is related to the copending
Canadian application~ o~ Robert J~ John~ton et al., Serial
No. 34~,581, ~iled March 27, 1980; Robert JO Joh~sto~ et alO9
5 Serial No~ 351,998, ~iled May 15, 1980; an~ Robert J. Johnston
et al. 9 Serial No. 35Q,491, ~iled April 23~ 1980.
.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field o~ the Invention-
Thi3 .Lnvention relates to a switch operator and~
more particularly, it pertains to a push-turn switch operator
for moving the switch between two operating positions.
Ordinarily electric switches are o~ the pushbutton
type or the rotary selector type, and each type o~ switch i~
often used in location~ where accidental or mistaken alteration
o~ a particular electrical circuit may have serious detrimental
consequ~nces .
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention a turn-push switch
operator is provi~ed which comprises a tubular housing,
3tationary and ~lovable contacts, movable contact operating
mean~ including a reciprocable plunger~ manual operating means
for actuatin~ the plunger to ~ffect opening and clQsing o~
the contacts and comprising an actuator
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and a manual handle, the actuator including a detent and
being rotatably and longit~dinalIy movable within -the
housing, a detent cam operatively connec-ted to the detent,
the detent cam being movable longitudinally within the
housing and being spring biased against the detent, t:he
cam having a camrning swrface inclined to the longitwd.ina~
axis of the housing, the detent being rnovable on -the
camming surface to effect rotation of the actuator, the
manual handle being movable rotatably and longit-udinally
of the detent cam and comprising a projection extending
toward the cam, the projection having a detent-engaging
surface for moving the detent over the camming surface in
one direction thereof, the camming surface having a
detent-receiving notch at the end toward which the detent
is moved in said one direction by the projection, the
actuator and the handle having interfitting key means for
enabling simultaneous rotation, the projection having an
inclined edge facing the notch, the detent having a por-
tion at the notch end of the camming surface, projection
being engageable with the inclined edge when the detent is
in the notch to effect rotation of the handle in the other
direction when the handle is pushed toward the de-tent cam,
the detent cam comprising a portion e~tending over and
spaced from the notch by a distance sufficient to clear
the detent, the cam portion engaging the inclined edge of
the projection when the handle is pushed to release the
detent from the notch to effect rotation of -the handle in
response to pressure of the spring bias means on the
detent cam, and the detent cam surrounding the actuator
and the inclined camming surface thereof being in the path
of rotation of the detent.
The advantage of the device of this invention is
that the cam operation offers a fast snap action because
of a spring which loads the cam against the tube, thws5 forcing rapid rotation upon pushing the handle.
~RIEF ~FSCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in
elevation, showing the switch structure of this invention,
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Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fi~. 1 showing the
s~itch in an alterna-te position;
Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view take-n on
the line III-III of Fig. 1; ancl
Fig. ~ is a developed view of the detent cal~.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMEN
A switch str~tcture is generally indicated at S
in Fig. 1 and it comprises a tubular housing 7~ an actua-
-tor 9, a deten-t cam 11, and a manual handle 13. The
swi-tch structure comprises a number (such as two) of
contact blocks or switches 15, 17. An operating cam 19 is
attached to the lower end of the actuator 9 for operating
plungers 21, 23 of the switches 15, 17, respectively.
The tubular housing 7 comprises an inturned
annular flange 25 and has a reduced portion 27 the upper
end of which is threaded 29 for retaining a clamp ring 31
in place. Associa-ted with the clamp ring is a shoulder 33
which cooperates with the clamp ring for mounting the
switch structure 5 in a hole in a panel 35 with a gasket
37 between the panel and the shoulder 33.
The actuator 9 is a tubular member and is pre-
ferably comprised of a dielectric material having upper
and lower outturn flanges 39, 41. A pair of diametrically
opposite detents 43, 45 extend ~rom the outer surface of
the actuator (Figs. 1, 3) and a pair of keys 47, 49 like-
wise extend from the outer surface. The lower portion of
the actuator 9 includes a plurality of peripherally spaced
slots or grooves 51 extending from the lower end upwardly,
thereby providng the lower por-tion of the actuator with a
plurality of vertical members from which sections of the
lower flange 41 extend under the annular flange 25 for
retaining the actuator in place.
The detent cam 11 is an annular member surround-
ing theactuator 9 and has a lower surface 53 in abutment
with biasing means, such as a cQil spring 55, -the lower
end of which is supported on the ann-ular flange 25.
In accordance with this invention the de-tent cam
11 (Fi.g. 4) comprises a pair of oppositely disposed cam-
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ming surfaces 57, the right ends of which terminate at a
deten-t stopping surface 59. Each camming surface 57 is
inclined upwardly to the le~t and terminates with a notch
61 and a detent stopping s-lrface 63 which surface is one
edge of cL projection 65 of the detent cam 11, Moreover~
the upper end of the detent stopping surace ~3 exten~s
outwardly at 67 and provides a polnt 69 ~hich is substan-
tially direc-tly above the notch 61. Finally, the detent
cam 11 comprises a pair of diametrically spaced surface
notches 71 which engage axiall~ extending similar ribs 73
of the housing 7~ whereby the detent cam moves only axial-
ly of the switch structure 5.
The handle 13 is a tubular member disposed on
the upper surface of the flange 39 of the actuator 9 where
it is retained by the clamp ring 31. The handle 13 is
movable rotatably and axially as ir.dicated by the arrows
75 (Fig. 1) and 77 (Fig. 2). The handle 13 comprises a
projection 79 having surfaces 81, 83. The surface 81
operates in abutment with the detent 43 so that upon
rotation of the handle 13 in the direction of -the arrow 75
the detent moves over the camming surface 57 until it
reaches the notch 61 where, without further manipula-tion
of the handle, the detent remains and retains the spring
55 in the compressed condition (Fig. 2). Durlng rotation
of the handle 13 from the position of Fig. 1 to tha-t of
Fig. 2, the actuator 9 is rotated in the same direction of
the handle, thereby rotating the operating cam 19 to
actuate the plungers 21, 23 of the switches 15, 17.
The operating cam 19 is attached to the lower
3 end of the actuator 9 with projections extending into the
grooves 51 of the actuator at the lower end thereof.
To return the switch actua-tor to the original
position of Fig. 1, and thereby change the conditions of
the contacts (not shown) within the switches 15, 17, the
handle 13 is pushed in the direction o~ the arrow 77 (Fig.
2). Upon pushing the button 13 inwardly (~ig. 2) the
inclined surface 83 rides over the point 69, -thereby
rota-ting the handle 13 to -the right as indicated by the
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arrow 85. The actuator 9 is likewise rotated simultane-
ously, because the keys 47, 49 are disposed in keyways 87,
89, respectively. As a result the detents ~3 are dis-
lodged from their respective grooves 61 and onto the
camming surfaces 57. Upon re:lease of the detents 43 from
the notches 61 the spring 55 returns the detent cam :ll to
the uppermost position (Fig. l), thereby facilitating the
rotation of the actuator 9 and handle 13 to the original
position as shown in Fig. l.
In conclusion, the push-turn switch operator of
this invention provides a device for operating electrical
circuits for opening and closing contacts. The device
operates by turning to a maintained position then releas-
ing by pushing. It employs a rotatable tubular actuator
whose motion is controlled by a cam of a unique s-tructure.
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